The present invention relates to a trailer for lifting and transporting hay bales, and more particularly to a trailer apparatus for lifting and transporting large, round hay bales.
It is common practice for hay to be collected and baled into large, round hay bales. Such round hay bales are typically very heavy and may be approximately five to six feet in diameter and from five to six feet long. Each hay bale weighs several hundred pounds. Round hay bales are generally collected in the field and are stored at one or more specific locations from which they can then be moved for feeding purposes. There are a number of ways in which the round hay bales are lifted from the ground and transported. The most common way is to use a hay wagon which can carry more than one round hay bale. The bales are typically placed on such hay wagons by utilizing a tractor or other vehicle which has a forklift-type device to spear and lift the round bales of hay and place them on the hay wagon. Although such an arrangement works effectively, it typically takes one person to operate the machine which lifts the hay bales and one person to operate the vehicle towing the hay wagon. If only one person performs both operations, it is time-consuming and inefficient.
There are a number of other apparatus that can be utilized to lift and transport hay bales such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,241 to Parker et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,790 to Baxter et al. The Parker et al. patent discloses an agricultural vehicle for transporting round hay bales which utilizes extensible members 32 which cause bale lifting and supporting member arms 22 to rotate inwardly to engage and lift a round hay bale. Although such an arrangement works well, there is a need for improved lifting and transporting apparatus.
Oftentimes round hay bales are left in the field for a long period of time prior to being lifted and/or transported. The portion of the hay in contact with the ground can become loose. Utilizing an apparatus like that shown in the Parker et al. patent can sometimes cause the hay to be lost since as the lifting arms move inwardly and upwardly, a pinching of the hay bale will occur which may cause the loose hay that has been in contact with the ground surface to fall away from the round bale. Thus, there is a need for a lifting and transporting apparatus that will engage and lift round hay bales that will not squeeze the hay bale in such a way as to cause a portion of the hay bale to be lost or left on the ground. The present invention engages and lifts round hay bales in such a way as to prevent the pinching and/or squeezing of the hay bale and will thus effectively lift round hay bales from the ground and will minimize the amount of hay that is pinched and/or left on the ground.